The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1887-10-05
EXHIBIT Ell
OXFORD. Miss. Sept. I. !

OAFohD, miss, sept. T., 1901.
Gen. j. z. George-Dear Sir: In an
swer to your request to give to You the
| data on which at the session of the Leeis-
ture in 1880 the report of the Joint Com
mittee on Universities touching the amount
due by the State to the Seminary fund was
| based, l have to say that there are no pa
pers in my possession except the public
Journals of that Legislature, from which l
can obtain any information on the subject
| can only give to you my recollection of
the matter after looking over the Jour
nals.
The House Journal shows that on the
29th day of January, 1880, the House con-
Cured In the Senate joint resolution direct
Ing the Joint Committee on Universities to
investigate the condition and take an
| account of the Seminary Fund and also
authorizing the committee to employ an
| accountant If necessary, for the purpose.
About that time a committee of the
Board of Trustees of the University of
Mississippi, by, and through the late Chief
Justice Chalmers, presented to the Joint
Committee on Universities, statement in
the nature of memorial to the Legisla-
ture, claiming that the amount due the
Seminary Fund was considerably in ex-
cess of one million of dollars, and PRAYING
Tor some final settlement of the matter.
Under the authority OF the resolution re-
ferred to, the committee charged with the
duty of making the investigation, or hay.
ing it made, decided to employ Col. {. A.
Brougher, a thorough accountant and
well-known business man of Jackson. to
take and state the account. / have no
recollection that any instructions were
given 70 him as TO how he should make I'D
the account. Some discussion was had as
TO how he should proceed, and upon what
principles the account should be taken,
but do not remember that any definite
directions were ever given 10 him beyond
the expression OF general wish that he
should obtain access to all the records
bearing upon the subject, and do the work
fairly and equitably, to the Fund, as well
as to the State.
Pending Col. Brougher's investigation, / |
remember an inquiry was made BY him of |
some members OF the committee, in NV
presence, if it was our desire that he should |
ignore all the laws and resolutions passed |
or adopted by previous Legislatures, Ak |
ing, or tending to fix, the amount due |
from the State to the Fund. From what
Col. Brougher said, / thought he was
inclined to disregard the eleventh section |
Of the Act of ls43, which provided for the |
collection and investment of the Fund. |
and named a rate of interest, and that he |
was making up the account from the !
amount realized BY the State from the sale |
and lease OF the lands, then crediting the |
payments on the principal, as the payments
were from time to time made, and after |
adding lower rate Of interest than au- |
thorized by previous legislation on the
balances, his conclusions were being |
reached.
/ informed Judge Chalmers of these
facts, and while / well remember his OBJ
jections to this course, / do not know that |
the subject was named again to our ac-
countant, by any one. / stated my own /
objections to the methods suggested bv
Col. Brougher at the time he made the in
quiry, stating to him that the will Of one
Legislature as to how much interest the
State should pay, ought not to be disre-
garded by the committee of another and |
succeeding Legislature. 1t Is due to me
that should here state was not at that
time member Of the Board Of Trustee of
the State University.
How Col. Brougher reached his conclu-
sions, am unable, at this time, to say. I /
do know, however, that when the account